# Add environment variables on filebeat start
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855
**Category:** Beats
**Tags:** filebeat
**Created:** [October 17, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855 "2018-10-17T13:58:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@leslie](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/leslie)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/1 "2018-10-17T13:58:00Z")
i am using filebeat 6.0.0 which without **add\_host\_metadata** processor; and my os is Windows.
now i hope to add an IP field to the filebeat result of all modules, but i `don't` want to set an Environment Variable globally. Do I have any other way to do that?
i am trying start filebeat with `filebeat.exe -E "IP=192.0.0.100"`, and modules config files like
```
type: log
paths:
{{ range $i, $path := .paths }}
- {{$path}}
{{ end }}
fields:
ip: "${IP}"
```
Then the filebeat starts failed. Can I set new environment variables with `-E` argument ?
PS. I have many servers to run filebeat, so i prefer to set the same configuration files on different servers.
---
### Author:  [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/2 "2018-10-18T20:53:34Z")
Can you update filebeat to 6.4.2 with add\_host\_metadata?
What is the error message you get?
Do you want the IP for some special modules/inputs only? Or do you want it with every event?
---
### Author:  [@leslie](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/leslie)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/3 "2018-10-19T05:32:15Z")
I met the same problem as [Filebeat Windows | Time sync](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/filebeat-windows-time-sync/121513/5) using filebeat 6.4.2, so i downgrade to 6.0.0 .
the error is
```
2018-10-19T13:28:54+08:00 CRIT Exiting: missing field accessing 'fields.ip'
```
I want IP for some modules,however adding IP for every event is ok.
---
### Author:  [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/4 "2018-10-19T12:40:28Z")
This looks like modules do not pick up env variables up correctly. Can you try to add the setting globally in your `filebeat.yml`?
---
### Author:  [@leslie](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/leslie)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2018, 6:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/5 "2018-10-22T06:30:55Z")
Yes, When the below config is setted in `filebeat.yml`, it works to every event. but when it is in module config file, it failed.
```
fields.ip: "${IP}"
```
I have tried using `-M "*.*.prospector.fields.ip=$ip"` to start filebeat. this way is worked only if I set modules in `filebeat.yml`, just like:
```
filebeat.modules:
- module: customize
adv-iis-access:
enabled: true
```
When I use external config file, like:
```
filebeat.config.modules:
path: ${path.config}/modules.d/*.yml
```
`-M` setting dose not add a new field to the event.
---
### Author:  [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/6 "2018-10-22T14:53:11Z")
This clearly looks like a bug. No idea if this is resolved in 6.4. Can you check with 6.4.2 and open an [bug report](https://github.com/elastic/beats/issues) if you can reproduce your findings with 6.4?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/add-environment-variables-on-filebeat-start/152855/7 "2018-11-19T14:53:13Z")
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